A man and woman died in a fatal two-vehicle crash at the intersection of South Barnards and Dryland Road near Canby Friday afternoon.
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched at 4:36 p.m. on the report of a two-vehicle traffic collision with entrapment in unincorporated Clackamas County between Molalla and Canby. There were serious injuries reported.
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Two died in a traffic crash on S Barnards Rd and S Dryland Rd yesterday. @MolallaPoliceFA @MolallaFire @CanbyFire and @LifeFlightNtwrk assisted with this crash. The Clackamas County Deputy Medical Examiner and the Criminal Reconstruction and Forensic Technician team responded. pic.twitter.com/sH4n8wGBHV
Deputies responded to the location along with Molalla Police, Molalla Fire District and the Canby Fire District.
First responders arrived and found several bystanders in the area helping. The collision was between a Mini Cooper and a white Dodge Ram pickup, and both vehicles had extensive damage. The driver of the truck appeared to be uninjured.
The driver of the Mini Cooper, later identified as 26-year-old Tracy Nataly Ventura-Mendoza, of Woodburn, was found to be deceased in the vehicle. Her male passenger, 22-year-old Jesus Alberto Vazquez-Mendoza, also of Woodburn, had extensive injuries. He was taken to an area hospital by Life Flight and later died as a result of his injuries.
A Clackamas County Deputy Medical Examiner and the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Criminal Reconstruction and Forensic Technicians team (CRAFT) responded to assist with the investigation. As result of the initial investigation, it is believed the driver of the Mini Cooper was at fault, police said.
Following a forensic analysis of the crash, authorities believe the Mini Cooper ran the stop sign at the crash location.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist the family with funeral expenses, as well as their efforts to return Vazquez-Mendoza to his family in Veracruz, Mexico.
A number of area residents expressed their sympathy and dismay on the Canby Now Podcast’s Facebook page after the tragic story was reported. Several shared the opinion that traffic signals or other safety devices could improve the notoriously dangerous intersection.
“Maybe the county will finally consider making this a 4 way stop and maybe adding rumble strips to alert people to the upcoming stop sign,” one suggested.
“There needs to be a light put at that intersection,” another said. “I have seen so many accidents there. So sad.”
Others noted that they have observed people driving too fast or ignoring the stop sign at this intersection, and urged their neighbors to slow down and obey the law.
“I always see cars flying down Dryland, often passing me when I am doing the speed limit,” one said. “It’s always young kids or young adults, and they miss the sign or misjudge their ability to stop. The sign is very easy to see if you are not speeding.”
“I always slow down at this intersection, as I have seen many vehicles on Dryland barely pause or run the stop sign,” another agreed.